Apple MacBook Pro with Multi-Touch Trackpad (17 in.)
No longer available at zZounds
zZounds Gear Experts Say...
Aluminum unibody design. Multi-touch trackpad. Intel Core2Duo processors. LED-backlit display. 802.11n wireless.
Overview
To build something truly different, you need to work in a truly different way. Apple designers and engineers work together through every stage of product development. It's a partnership that makes innovation possible. And it's exactly how the new MacBook Pro was created. With its breakthrough unibody enclosure, industry-first features, and environmentally sound design, it's a revolution in the way notebooks are made.
Until now, all notebooks were designed the same way. By assembling multiple pieces to create a single enclosure. But once you include all the necessary parts, you add size, weight, complexity, and more opportunities for failure. Solving a problem like this required more than an incremental change. It required a breakthrough. To create the new MacBook Pro, the design and engineering teams devised a way to replace many parts with just one. That one part is called the unibody -- a seamless enclosure carved from a single piece of aluminum.
Unibody Enclosure - The new MacBook Pro starts life as a single piece of aluminum.
Of course, building only one part creates its own set of challenges. When you have multiple parts that are fastened together, tolerances don't need to be perfect. You have wiggle room, both literally and figuratively. But when one part is responsible for many functions, it's critical to manufacture that part with absolute precision, down to the micron. Every time. Millions of times over. There was only one way to achieve this level of precision: mill… read more the unibody from a solid block of aluminum using computer numerical control, or CNC, machines -- the kind used by the aerospace industry to build mission-critical spacecraft components.
When you pick up a new MacBook Pro, you immediately notice the difference. The entire enclosure is thinner and lighter. It looks polished and refined. And it feels strong and durable -- perfect for life inside (and outside) your briefcase or backpack.
The thickness of a notebook display depends on the technology inside. LCD displays typically use cold cathode fluorescent lamps, or CCFLs, to create light and project a picture onto a screen. But that poses two problems. First, these lamps require more space, so the display can be only so thin. Second, just like the fluorescent lights in your home or office, the ones inside a CCFL display take time to warm up before they reach full brightness. That's a lose-lose situation. And it's why Apple engineers chose LED backlight technology for the new MacBook Pro.
An LED backlight creates the same amount of brightness in less space. So you can make the structure that houses an LED display much thinner. And unlike fluorescent lamps, an LED backlight reaches maximum brightness instantly.
Look at the MacBook Pro display and you'll see another big difference. Glass. That edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass display does more than look good. It also adds structure to the LED display beneath it. And there's no metal frame (another extraneous part) to distract you from what's onscreen.
Macbook Pro Multi-Touch Trackpad
The new MacBook Pro trackpad has no button because it is the button. That means there's more room to track, more room to click -- left, right, center, and everywhere in between -- and one less part. Apple designers and engineers spent countless hours considering things like sensitivity (how much pressure triggers a click?), audio feedback (what does the click sound like?), and friction over the smooth glass surface (what does it feel like?).
And that's just the hardware. Apple software engineers had a large part to play in the development of the trackpad, too. They incorporated Multi-Touch gestures, including swipe, pinch, rotate, and the new four-finger swipe. The result is the largest, smartest, most ergonomic MacBook Pro trackpad ever. It's one of many details considered and reconsidered during the design process.
There's a story behind each part. Take the thumbscoop, for example. It's the indentation that allows you to open the display. If the scoop is too deep, you put too much pressure on the display to open it. If it's too shallow, you struggle to open the display. It may seem incidental, but if the thumbscoop is well designed, it makes the difference between a bad experience and a good one. The challenge of the thumbscoop was to create a crisply machined scoop that was still comfortable to use. The designers at Apple worked on hundreds of versions of the thumbscoop -- even examining them under an electron microscope -- to get it right.
Then there's the sleep indicator light. An indicator is functional only when it's indicating something. Look to the right of the thumbscoop. You see nothing. Until you close the display and your MacBook Pro goes to sleep. Then an LED glow appears from inside the enclosure. How? During the CNC process, a machine first thins out the aluminum. Then a laser drill creates small perforations for the LED light to shine through. These holes are so tiny that the aluminum appears seamless when the light is off.
The marriage of electronics and mechanical design makes the new MacBook Pro as advanced on the inside as it is on the outside. The internal architecture has been reengineered from the silicon up. There's a new logic board. A new chipset. And a new graphics architecture -- a feat of engineering in itself.
Many notebook computers sacrifice graphics performance in order to save battery life. The new MacBook Pro offers the best of both worlds, thanks to not one, but two separate graphics processors.
The GeForce 9600M GT processor is the discrete graphics powerhouse. The GeForce 9400M processor is the integrated power saver. And depending on how much performance or battery life you need, you can switch between them easily.
Because Apple designs both the hardware and the software for the new MacBook Pro, it's easier to improve things like energy efficiency. Software tells the hard drive to spin down when it's not in use. It tells the display and battery indicator lights to dim in low-light conditions. And it helps decide whether the CPU or the graphics processor would be best suited to the task at hand. That's the kind of smart, integrated design that sets MacBook Pro apart from other notebooks.
Made from recyclable aluminum and glass, the new MacBook Pro is greener than ever.
Top-to-bottom integration also makes MacBook Pro greener than other notebooks. Complete control over how the new MacBook Pro is designed, how it's manufactured, and how it's packaged gives Apple an environmental edge. Take the MacBook Pro display, for instance. Conventional CCFL displays use mercury to create a backlight and arsenic to prevent irregularities in the glass. The LED-backlit display on the new MacBook Pro, on the other hand, is both mercury- and arsenic-free. LED backlight technology also conserves energy: This display requires 30 percent less power than a CCFL display.
Mercury and arsenic aren't the only toxins absent from the new MacBook Pro. Many computer manufacturers have only pledged to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their enclosures and circuit boards. Apple is removing not only PVC and BFRs, but all forms of bromine and chlorine throughout the entire MacBook Pro.
Just how green is the new MacBook Pro? It's ENERGY STAR compliant, which means it meets the government standard for energy efficiency. It's also earned EPEAT Gold status, the highest standard for environmental performance in the electronics industry. And every new MacBook Pro is shipped in packaging that's 37 percent smaller than any previous generation. That translates to fewer trees used for boxes and less fuel used to transport more MacBook Pros on fewer planes. And at the end of its long, productive life, you can recycle almost all of your MacBook Pro.
Only Apple could make a notebook like this. Hardware and software. Design and engineering. Production and manufacturing. They're all part of a single process at Apple. When you start using your new MacBook Pro, you'll discover what that means. The light and sturdy unibody protects the components inside. The LED-backlit display -- along with the graphics processor that helps power it -- gives you faster games and a brilliant canvas for your photos, movies, and more. The glass Multi-Touch trackpad feels as good as it functions. From the smallest detail to the biggest engineering breakthrough, the new MacBook Pro truly is the next generation of notebooks.
Everything fits.
MacBook Pro has a hard drive up to 320GB2 and up to 4GB of RAM. So there's plenty of room for your photo libraries, video projects, and files. With faster 1066MHz DDR3 memory, you can run more applications at once and instantly access even more of your stuff. Burn everything you watch, listen to, or create onto DVDs using the ultrafast 8x SuperDrive.
Ports with possibilities.
MacBook Pro is iPod, iPhone, digital camera, and external hard drive ready. If it has a cable, there's a place for it. You'll find two USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire 800 port for connecting faster peripherals. The Mini DisplayPort is a perfect fit for the new Apple LED Cinema Display. MacBook Pro even understands what you plug in, so you don't have to install new drivers.
Think fast.
Inside the new MacBook Pro is the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at speeds up to 2.8GHz. It's based on groundbreaking 45-nm process technology and advanced Core microarchitecture. With the 1066MHz frontside bus and up to 6MB of shared L2 cache, MacBook Pro runs applications faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Your studio to go.
Wherever you go, wireless capabilities go with you. With the latest 802.11n wireless technology built into MacBook Pro, you're always seamlessly and effortlessly connected to the wireless world out there, at home, and at work.3 MacBook Pro automatically finds available networks and allows you to join them with just one click. Then surf the web, send email, video chat, print, stream your music, and more. Bluetooth capabilities are also built in, so brilliant accessories can become your wireless accomplices. And when a Wi-Fi network isn't available, you can connect to the Internet anywhere there's a cellular network using the ExpressCard/34 slot and a 3G wireless card. With up to 5 hours of battery life, do everything you need to do, wherever you need to do it.
Be everywhere at once.
Cleverly integrated -- almost hidden -- at the top of the MacBook Pro display is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with a buddy, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client.5 Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there's no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera. Like everything Mac, iSight just works. read less
Until now, all notebooks were designed the same way. By assembling multiple pieces to create a single enclosure. But once you include all the necessary parts, you add size, weight, complexity, and more opportunities for failure. Solving a problem like this required more than an incremental change. It required a breakthrough. To create the new MacBook Pro, the design and engineering teams devised a way to replace many parts with just one. That one part is called the unibody -- a seamless enclosure carved from a single piece of aluminum.
Unibody Enclosure - The new MacBook Pro starts life as a single piece of aluminum.
Of course, building only one part creates its own set of challenges. When you have multiple parts that are fastened together, tolerances don't need to be perfect. You have wiggle room, both literally and figuratively. But when one part is responsible for many functions, it's critical to manufacture that part with absolute precision, down to the micron. Every time. Millions of times over. There was only one way to achieve this level of precision: mill… read more the unibody from a solid block of aluminum using computer numerical control, or CNC, machines -- the kind used by the aerospace industry to build mission-critical spacecraft components.
When you pick up a new MacBook Pro, you immediately notice the difference. The entire enclosure is thinner and lighter. It looks polished and refined. And it feels strong and durable -- perfect for life inside (and outside) your briefcase or backpack.
The thickness of a notebook display depends on the technology inside. LCD displays typically use cold cathode fluorescent lamps, or CCFLs, to create light and project a picture onto a screen. But that poses two problems. First, these lamps require more space, so the display can be only so thin. Second, just like the fluorescent lights in your home or office, the ones inside a CCFL display take time to warm up before they reach full brightness. That's a lose-lose situation. And it's why Apple engineers chose LED backlight technology for the new MacBook Pro.
An LED backlight creates the same amount of brightness in less space. So you can make the structure that houses an LED display much thinner. And unlike fluorescent lamps, an LED backlight reaches maximum brightness instantly.
Look at the MacBook Pro display and you'll see another big difference. Glass. That edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass display does more than look good. It also adds structure to the LED display beneath it. And there's no metal frame (another extraneous part) to distract you from what's onscreen.
Macbook Pro Multi-Touch Trackpad
The new MacBook Pro trackpad has no button because it is the button. That means there's more room to track, more room to click -- left, right, center, and everywhere in between -- and one less part. Apple designers and engineers spent countless hours considering things like sensitivity (how much pressure triggers a click?), audio feedback (what does the click sound like?), and friction over the smooth glass surface (what does it feel like?).
And that's just the hardware. Apple software engineers had a large part to play in the development of the trackpad, too. They incorporated Multi-Touch gestures, including swipe, pinch, rotate, and the new four-finger swipe. The result is the largest, smartest, most ergonomic MacBook Pro trackpad ever. It's one of many details considered and reconsidered during the design process.
There's a story behind each part. Take the thumbscoop, for example. It's the indentation that allows you to open the display. If the scoop is too deep, you put too much pressure on the display to open it. If it's too shallow, you struggle to open the display. It may seem incidental, but if the thumbscoop is well designed, it makes the difference between a bad experience and a good one. The challenge of the thumbscoop was to create a crisply machined scoop that was still comfortable to use. The designers at Apple worked on hundreds of versions of the thumbscoop -- even examining them under an electron microscope -- to get it right.
Then there's the sleep indicator light. An indicator is functional only when it's indicating something. Look to the right of the thumbscoop. You see nothing. Until you close the display and your MacBook Pro goes to sleep. Then an LED glow appears from inside the enclosure. How? During the CNC process, a machine first thins out the aluminum. Then a laser drill creates small perforations for the LED light to shine through. These holes are so tiny that the aluminum appears seamless when the light is off.
The marriage of electronics and mechanical design makes the new MacBook Pro as advanced on the inside as it is on the outside. The internal architecture has been reengineered from the silicon up. There's a new logic board. A new chipset. And a new graphics architecture -- a feat of engineering in itself.
Many notebook computers sacrifice graphics performance in order to save battery life. The new MacBook Pro offers the best of both worlds, thanks to not one, but two separate graphics processors.
The GeForce 9600M GT processor is the discrete graphics powerhouse. The GeForce 9400M processor is the integrated power saver. And depending on how much performance or battery life you need, you can switch between them easily.
Because Apple designs both the hardware and the software for the new MacBook Pro, it's easier to improve things like energy efficiency. Software tells the hard drive to spin down when it's not in use. It tells the display and battery indicator lights to dim in low-light conditions. And it helps decide whether the CPU or the graphics processor would be best suited to the task at hand. That's the kind of smart, integrated design that sets MacBook Pro apart from other notebooks.
Made from recyclable aluminum and glass, the new MacBook Pro is greener than ever.
Top-to-bottom integration also makes MacBook Pro greener than other notebooks. Complete control over how the new MacBook Pro is designed, how it's manufactured, and how it's packaged gives Apple an environmental edge. Take the MacBook Pro display, for instance. Conventional CCFL displays use mercury to create a backlight and arsenic to prevent irregularities in the glass. The LED-backlit display on the new MacBook Pro, on the other hand, is both mercury- and arsenic-free. LED backlight technology also conserves energy: This display requires 30 percent less power than a CCFL display.
Mercury and arsenic aren't the only toxins absent from the new MacBook Pro. Many computer manufacturers have only pledged to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their enclosures and circuit boards. Apple is removing not only PVC and BFRs, but all forms of bromine and chlorine throughout the entire MacBook Pro.
Just how green is the new MacBook Pro? It's ENERGY STAR compliant, which means it meets the government standard for energy efficiency. It's also earned EPEAT Gold status, the highest standard for environmental performance in the electronics industry. And every new MacBook Pro is shipped in packaging that's 37 percent smaller than any previous generation. That translates to fewer trees used for boxes and less fuel used to transport more MacBook Pros on fewer planes. And at the end of its long, productive life, you can recycle almost all of your MacBook Pro.
Only Apple could make a notebook like this. Hardware and software. Design and engineering. Production and manufacturing. They're all part of a single process at Apple. When you start using your new MacBook Pro, you'll discover what that means. The light and sturdy unibody protects the components inside. The LED-backlit display -- along with the graphics processor that helps power it -- gives you faster games and a brilliant canvas for your photos, movies, and more. The glass Multi-Touch trackpad feels as good as it functions. From the smallest detail to the biggest engineering breakthrough, the new MacBook Pro truly is the next generation of notebooks.
Everything fits.
MacBook Pro has a hard drive up to 320GB2 and up to 4GB of RAM. So there's plenty of room for your photo libraries, video projects, and files. With faster 1066MHz DDR3 memory, you can run more applications at once and instantly access even more of your stuff. Burn everything you watch, listen to, or create onto DVDs using the ultrafast 8x SuperDrive.
Ports with possibilities.
MacBook Pro is iPod, iPhone, digital camera, and external hard drive ready. If it has a cable, there's a place for it. You'll find two USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire 800 port for connecting faster peripherals. The Mini DisplayPort is a perfect fit for the new Apple LED Cinema Display. MacBook Pro even understands what you plug in, so you don't have to install new drivers.
Think fast.
Inside the new MacBook Pro is the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at speeds up to 2.8GHz. It's based on groundbreaking 45-nm process technology and advanced Core microarchitecture. With the 1066MHz frontside bus and up to 6MB of shared L2 cache, MacBook Pro runs applications faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Your studio to go.
Wherever you go, wireless capabilities go with you. With the latest 802.11n wireless technology built into MacBook Pro, you're always seamlessly and effortlessly connected to the wireless world out there, at home, and at work.3 MacBook Pro automatically finds available networks and allows you to join them with just one click. Then surf the web, send email, video chat, print, stream your music, and more. Bluetooth capabilities are also built in, so brilliant accessories can become your wireless accomplices. And when a Wi-Fi network isn't available, you can connect to the Internet anywhere there's a cellular network using the ExpressCard/34 slot and a 3G wireless card. With up to 5 hours of battery life, do everything you need to do, wherever you need to do it.
Be everywhere at once.
Cleverly integrated -- almost hidden -- at the top of the MacBook Pro display is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with a buddy, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client.5 Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there's no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera. Like everything Mac, iSight just works. read less
Specs
MB766LLA Exclusive Features
Size and weight
- Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
- Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
- Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm)
Weight: 6.6 pounds (2.99 kg)
Connections and expansion
One FireWire 400 port at up to 400 Mbps
One FireWire 800 port at up to 800 Mbps
Three 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports
ExpressCard/34 slot
Kensington security slot
Communications
Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
802.11n
Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Audio
Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)
Combined optical digital input/analog line in (minijack)
Combined optical digital output/analog line out (minijack)
Input
Built-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement)
Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor for automatic adjustment of keyboard illumination and screen brightness
Solid-state trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for precise cursor control; supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
Display
17-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors; optional antiglare widescreen display
Supported resolutions: 1920 by 1200 (native), 1680 by 1050, 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1280 by 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio; 1280 by 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio stretched; 1600 by 1200, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1600 by 1200, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched
Graphics and video support
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support and 512MB of GDDR3 memory
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
DVI output port
VGA output using included DVI to VGA Adapter
iSight camera. Built-in iSight camera
Environmental status
Mercury-free
Arsenic-free glass
Majority of circuit board laminates are free of brominated flame retardants.
ENERGY STAR logo.Majority of internal cables are PVC-free.
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements.
EPEAT Gold ratingReceived a Gold rating from EPEAT.
Processor and memory
2.5GHz or 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
800MHz frontside bus
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory
Storage
320GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 320GB 7200-rpm hard drive; optional 128GB solid-state drive3
8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW; 6x DVD-RW; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer); 24x CD-R; 16x CD-RW
Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW; 24x CD
Battery and power
5 hours of wireless productivity.
68-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
85W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
MagSafe power port
Electrical and operating requirements
Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
DC input: 18.5 Vdc, 4.6A maximum
Operating temperature: 50* to 95* F (10* to 35* C)
Storage temperature: -13* to 113* F (-24* to 45* C)
Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet
Included software
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)
What's in the box
MacBook Pro
Display cleaning cloth
85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord
Lithium-polymer battery
DVI to VGA adapter
Install/restore DVDs
Printed and electronic documentation
Size and weight
- Height: 1.0 inch (2.59 cm)
- Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
- Depth: 10.4 inches (26.5 cm)
Weight: 6.6 pounds (2.99 kg)
Connections and expansion
One FireWire 400 port at up to 400 Mbps
One FireWire 800 port at up to 800 Mbps
Three 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports
ExpressCard/34 slot
Kensington security slot
Communications
Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
802.11n
Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Audio
Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)
Combined optical digital input/analog line in (minijack)
Combined optical digital output/analog line out (minijack)
Input
Built-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement)
Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor for automatic adjustment of keyboard illumination and screen brightness
Solid-state trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for precise cursor control; supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
Display
17-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors; optional antiglare widescreen display
Supported resolutions: 1920 by 1200 (native), 1680 by 1050, 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1280 by 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio; 1280 by 1024 pixels at 5:4 aspect ratio stretched; 1600 by 1200, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1600 by 1200, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched
Graphics and video support
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support and 512MB of GDDR3 memory
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
DVI output port
VGA output using included DVI to VGA Adapter
iSight camera. Built-in iSight camera
Environmental status
Mercury-free
Arsenic-free glass
Majority of circuit board laminates are free of brominated flame retardants.
ENERGY STAR logo.Majority of internal cables are PVC-free.
Meets ENERGY STAR requirements.
EPEAT Gold ratingReceived a Gold rating from EPEAT.
Processor and memory
2.5GHz or 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
800MHz frontside bus
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory
Storage
320GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 320GB 7200-rpm hard drive; optional 128GB solid-state drive3
8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW; 6x DVD-RW; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer); 24x CD-R; 16x CD-RW
Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW; 24x CD
Battery and power
5 hours of wireless productivity.
68-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
85W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
MagSafe power port
Electrical and operating requirements
Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
DC input: 18.5 Vdc, 4.6A maximum
Operating temperature: 50* to 95* F (10* to 35* C)
Storage temperature: -13* to 113* F (-24* to 45* C)
Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet
Included software
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)
What's in the box
MacBook Pro
Display cleaning cloth
85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord
Lithium-polymer battery
DVI to VGA adapter
Install/restore DVDs
Printed and electronic documentation
Reviews
Submitted February 12, 2009
"MacBook Pro is a nice unit, but not too nice."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'd give it an 8 because they charge too much for upgrades.
I bought the 15" rather than the 17" for portability. I installed my own 4 GB Ram and 7200 RPM 500GB drive, saving me about a grand over what apple would have charged for the upgrade. If you buy this product, do the same and take your ram and HD to an offsite guy who can do it much cheaper. You'll be happier and save ALOT of money. Oh, and if you are a giging musician, get a hardshell case for it and a leather cover from Macally, as it will save the cheap silver finish on these things.
Sound
It has the standard sound card
Features
For laptops it has firewire 800, firewire 400 and 3 USB ports. Full size interface connections, no other laptop on the market, had this. The best thing is the new OS Leopard that has 'time machine' backup, and I've tried it, it works (unlike Mircrosofts crap backup system) Installed a new 7200 RPM hardrive myself, and it was a little touchy to do, but far easier than a Toshiba and far more difficult than a Dell. Brought all my NI Kore and Komplete files backinto the new harddrive via 'time Machine' and guess what? it worked! No long hours of reinstallation and reauthorization required for either NI or Ableton. Good job Apple on that one!
Ease of Use
Mac OS is much simpler to use than windows, when problems arise. No registry errors, no dll files etc to deal with. One thing though, is it… read more will freeze, just like a PC, if you throw too much at it or it doesn't like a program. You will have to 'force quit' the program, but at least the whole damned system doesn't crash. I have never had a problem running any of my softsynths or DAWs with my Macbook Pro. they simply don't crash as much as a PC does. user interface is a simple as Vista, but nicer, I think. lastly it has Bootcamp, and I boot into both mac OS and Vista on the same machine to run FruityLoops. Very cool. PC cannot do this, so kudos again, to apple
Quality
I have to give it a five because the metal is far too thin on this machine for my liking. It is a flimsy 'tin'ish material that if hit against something a little too hard, dents. My Express card 32 slot dented in and remains now, because after putting the MB in a Macally leather protection case and inside my Ableton Live softpadded soft bag, it still dented when bumped. Sucks! Macbook plain plastic is stronger thatn the MB pro. If you move it around for gigs, get a hard case for it.
Value
You pay too much for it, but it does alot, so you have to consider the cost-benefit (easy backup, two operating systems on one machine, music related interfaces onboard). Mac as a company, sucks. They overrate, over publicize and over hype their products to do everything but wash your clothes and make your dinners and I really hate that stupid apple symple lit on the back of my notebook. I am NOT a walking advert for Steve Jobs, so I just went ahead and stuck a clear, Access Virus symbol over the apple, heh heh. Screw Apple as a company. they thing they are the Ferrari of the computer world or something. If there was a PC with the same specs and features without having to add express cards and whatnot, I'd have bought the PC and for backup, used a third party hard drive backup software. Other than that, it is a nice unit, just overpriced.
Manufacturer Support
Again, 5 because apple tries to sell you $hit everytime you call them if you didn't buy the ridiculous Apple Care plan. Listen, it's a 2500 dollar laptop, did I not spend enough allready to get a few simple questions asked? I am not asking you to troubleshoot my machine, just tell me how to go into bootcamp
The Wow Factor
it is a machine, it has NO sex appeal. As long as it works, I don't care. It is simple, though, in its concept, so that is what appeals to me, even though there is too much hype surrounding it.
read less
Sound
It has the standard sound card
Features
For laptops it has firewire 800, firewire 400 and 3 USB ports. Full size interface connections, no other laptop on the market, had this. The best thing is the new OS Leopard that has 'time machine' backup, and I've tried it, it works (unlike Mircrosofts crap backup system) Installed a new 7200 RPM hardrive myself, and it was a little touchy to do, but far easier than a Toshiba and far more difficult than a Dell. Brought all my NI Kore and Komplete files backinto the new harddrive via 'time Machine' and guess what? it worked! No long hours of reinstallation and reauthorization required for either NI or Ableton. Good job Apple on that one!
Ease of Use
Mac OS is much simpler to use than windows, when problems arise. No registry errors, no dll files etc to deal with. One thing though, is it… read more will freeze, just like a PC, if you throw too much at it or it doesn't like a program. You will have to 'force quit' the program, but at least the whole damned system doesn't crash. I have never had a problem running any of my softsynths or DAWs with my Macbook Pro. they simply don't crash as much as a PC does. user interface is a simple as Vista, but nicer, I think. lastly it has Bootcamp, and I boot into both mac OS and Vista on the same machine to run FruityLoops. Very cool. PC cannot do this, so kudos again, to apple
Quality
I have to give it a five because the metal is far too thin on this machine for my liking. It is a flimsy 'tin'ish material that if hit against something a little too hard, dents. My Express card 32 slot dented in and remains now, because after putting the MB in a Macally leather protection case and inside my Ableton Live softpadded soft bag, it still dented when bumped. Sucks! Macbook plain plastic is stronger thatn the MB pro. If you move it around for gigs, get a hard case for it.
Value
You pay too much for it, but it does alot, so you have to consider the cost-benefit (easy backup, two operating systems on one machine, music related interfaces onboard). Mac as a company, sucks. They overrate, over publicize and over hype their products to do everything but wash your clothes and make your dinners and I really hate that stupid apple symple lit on the back of my notebook. I am NOT a walking advert for Steve Jobs, so I just went ahead and stuck a clear, Access Virus symbol over the apple, heh heh. Screw Apple as a company. they thing they are the Ferrari of the computer world or something. If there was a PC with the same specs and features without having to add express cards and whatnot, I'd have bought the PC and for backup, used a third party hard drive backup software. Other than that, it is a nice unit, just overpriced.
Manufacturer Support
Again, 5 because apple tries to sell you $hit everytime you call them if you didn't buy the ridiculous Apple Care plan. Listen, it's a 2500 dollar laptop, did I not spend enough allready to get a few simple questions asked? I am not asking you to troubleshoot my machine, just tell me how to go into bootcamp
The Wow Factor
it is a machine, it has NO sex appeal. As long as it works, I don't care. It is simple, though, in its concept, so that is what appeals to me, even though there is too much hype surrounding it.
read less
17 of 17 people (100%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
No longer available at zZounds
In most cases, a product is unavailable because it has been discontinued by the manufacturer